


the difference between us

by queenofglass



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-09
Updated: 2012-03-09
Packaged: 2017-11-01 17:38:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/359514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofglass/pseuds/queenofglass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Lily discovered magic, Petunia pushed her away out of jealousy. She didn’t realize that she had pushed her into the arms of a wizard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the difference between us

Petunia Evans _lived_ for parties.

She loved the art of party planning, the complicated method that only a _select_ group of people possessed. There were days of planning—finding the right dress, perfecting her hostess smile, and brushing up on small talk.

Planning was what Petunia did best. And for once, when the party was all about her, she rose to the occasion with remarkable ease.

Her engagement to Vernon Dursley was something of a whirlwind romance. They had worked at the same company for a time (Petunia was no longer employed; once that ring was on her finger, she had no reason to, in her eyes). A few dates later, he proposed. It felt like she had finally found her prince—someone who was completely normal.

Petunia was all smiles tonight. It was one event (other than the wedding) she had been looking forward to for months: the engagement party. She planned the entire thing herself. Lily couldn’t be bothered, not at that freakish school of hers. Mum took her orders happily, without question, but Dad was busy with work.

The evening began quite smoothly. Guests began arriving promptly at six, with appetizers and drinks to hold them until dinner, which would start at eight o’clock sharp.

Vernon looked neat and tidy in the tie she had purchased for him; every so often, she’d tweak it, just because she could. He’d chuckle and make a fuss, but she knew it was only for their guests’ benefit.

Half an hour into the evening, Vernon’s sister was already tipsy. “Petunia, dear, where is that sister of yours? I have to meet her—she’ll be family in soon!”

Petunia smiled, but inside, she was fuming. “Lily wasn’t feeling well, Marge. I’ll tell her you said hello, though.”

“Why don’t you check on your sister,” Mother whispered loudly, as if she was still a child. “See if she wants something to eat.”

Petunia forced another smile and excused herself. Upon reaching the stairs, she tiptoed, wondering if Lily was going to sleep through the whole party.

The Evans sisters had adjoining rooms, separated by a shared bathroom. Petunia crept through her room into the shared space, pausing when she heard voices.

“I’m sure it won’t be that bad, Lils. It’s one party.”

The speaker was definitely male. Petunia stood stock-still, incredulous. Lily had a boy in over during _her_ engagement party?

“It’s not even that, James,” she heard Lily whisper back. “Tuney doesn’t want me there. Every time I tried to help, she refused. She wouldn’t even let me be a bridesmaid in her wedding. I’m her sister, and I don’t know what I did wrong.”

 _You_ are _wrong_ , Petunia thought furiously. _You’re unnatural and abnormal and still, everyone loves you._

“Well, nothing like a good shag before a party,” the boy replied, laughing. Lily giggled.

“You’re so awful, Potter. Is that all you think about?”

“Yes.”

“God help us.”

Petunia peeked into the room, holding her breath.

That awful Potter boy was sitting at the end of Lily’s bed, holding her bare feet in his lap. His jacket (leather, of course—Lily _would_ date some sort of hoodlum) was hanging off the bedpost. His shirt was rumpled, along with his jet-black hair. Lily was wearing nothing but her knickers, and was gazing at the ceiling with her arms behind her head.

Lily and this boy had to have been up here for a long time; she obviously lied about being sick. _Fucking in her parents’ own home during_ my _party. Does she have any shame?_

Her anger tipped into something more deadly. Before she knew it, she had wrenched the door open and stepped inside her sister’s room, something she hadn’t done in years.

“Petunia, what are you _doing_?” Lily hissed, yanking the sheets up to her chin. Jim or James, whatever his name was, simply looked amused.

“I didn’t know you had a guest,” Petunia replied nastily. “Although you’re entertaining him a little differently than the ones we have downstairs.”

“Oh shut up,” her sister snapped, pulling a shirt over her head. “How long have you been spying on us?”

“Long enough. Did you have to do this tonight? Can’t you take it somewhere else?”

The Potter boy smirked. “This is her room, Petunia.”

“I wasn’t talking to _you_ ,” Petunia said coldly. “And do you do this often, sneaking into my house?”

“Oh, of course,” he answered, standing. He slid his arms through the jacket, fighting a smile. “Since we graduated Hogwarts, I realized that we live pretty far away from one another. So I visit now and again.”

“Now and again,” Lily muttered. “More like every other night, James.”

“You love it.”

“I do.”

Petunia rolled her eyes. The impropriety in this room was starting to suffocate her. “I suppose you have to make an appearance, Lily. People are wondering where you are.”

Lily lit a cigarette, inhaled, then passed it to James. “You don’t want me there.”

Her elder sister bristled. “No, I don’t.”

Lily studied her in silence. James, clearly bored, tied his shoelaces with a tap of his wand. Petunia glared.

“Fine. I’ll come downstairs for dinner, at least.”

Petunia seethed. She hadn’t _really_ wanted Lily or her stupid wizard boyfriend to ruin her party by gatecrashing it. But she also didn’t want her guests pestering her about it. Lily being there would sufficiently answer their questions until after dinner.

“But James is coming, too,” she continued.

“Fine,” Petunia said icily. “I suppose _those_ clothes are better than the ones he usually wears.”

James grinned. “This should be fun.”

———

Dinner began, as planned, at eight o’clock. There was a slight snag in the seating arrangement; Petunia hadn’t expected Lily or James when she placed the name cards several hours ago. Luckily, their father had an extra leaf for the table, and everyone was moved down accordingly.

To her disappointment, James didn’t look the least bit uncomfortable in the semi-formal atmosphere. As if she wanted to support him, Lily had dressed as casually as her boyfriend. Petunia decided it was better than nothing, and pointedly tried to ignore the pair. Unfortunately, not everyone followed her example.

Marge, with her wide face and equally booming voice, commanded the conversation of the entire table. After she grew bored of Petunia’s bridesmaids, (Janet and Emily, the poor souls, were forced to sit near her, being part of the bridal party and therefore in league with the soon-to-be sister-in-law) she turned to James and Lily.

“Vernon tells me that you’re unemployed,” Marge said, smiling unpleasantly over her large glass of brandy. “That’s rather foolish, in this economy.”

James chuckled. “Well, _Vernon_ didn’t mention that I have a sizable inheritance from my parents. I’m more than happy to work. If I can’t find it, it’s no skin off my back, if you all will pardon the common saying.”

The nearest diners laughed appreciatively. There was nothing these upper-middle class guests liked more than a rich kid with a sense of humor. Petunia saw her parents smiling and sipped her wine with a scowl.

“And what do you two plan for the future?” Marge asked, eyeing James with suspicion. Petunia knew from Vernon’s stories that she, owning a number of dogs, felt that she was a good judge of character. Dogs were naturally good at this, and Ripper, who was resting at her feet, seemed to agree with his mistress’s assessment.

Lily blushed prettily. “We hadn’t thought _that_ far ahead, Marge.”

“Well if he’s unemployed, will you work?” she pressed. “If the two of you don't, what will you do all day?”

James shrugged in a devil-may-care kind of way. “Have loads of kids, I suppose.”

Lily’s blush deepened. She swatted at his shoulder as a round of laughs went around the room. _“Stop.”_

Petunia couldn’t believe she had been upstaged— _again_ —at her own engagement party. Tonight was supposed to be all about her, and here Lily was, stealing the attention like she always did.

Vernon, as if sensing her distress (how could he not, she was squeezing his hand so hard) stood.

“Petunia and I are so _pleased_ that everyone is here for us. It was like something out of the movies, really . . . ”

Petunia fixed a smile on her face and stared at Vernon throughout his speech, but she was barely listening. Mentally, she was planning ahead.

There would be no need to maintain contact with Lily after the marriage. She would grin and bear it for their parents’ sake, she supposed, but they were aging. The horrible arrangement wouldn’t last forever. When they were gone, she’d cut her strange sister out of her life, focus on her husband, and start a family.

She saw James whispering something in Lily’s ear; her sister smiled. Petunia felt an odd sense of regret, watching the pair interact. When Lily discovered magic, Petunia pushed her away out of jealousy.

She didn’t realize that she had pushed her into the arms of a wizard.

 _Their children would be abnormal, too_ , she thought. _I can’t have abnormality near my family. No child of mine will grow up in the shadow of magic. Not like I did._

Petunia brushed a piece of lint off her spotless dress. _Magic doesn’t fit in the plan, and neither does Lily._

In her mind, everything was coming into place.


End file.
